New Music To Know: Andrew Ripp Lets His Guard Down

Related Tags:

Follow Us

“I think everybody starts singing in the shower,” pop-rock singer-songwriter Andrew Ripp jokes. “That was the place for me. It’s a safe place, nobody’s listening so you can feel free to do whatever you please.”

Originally from Illinois but now Nashville-based, Ripp first picked up his friend’s guitar as a kid. After hearing the Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ “My Friends” on the radio, he taught himself the song by ear.

“I quickly began making up my own song structures,” he said. “Maybe it’s just a God-given gift being able to sit down and play, but I just always could do it.”

You can see this in his recent cover of Justin Timberlake‘s “Mirrors,” where he duplicates himself on guitar, piano and drums.

After he learned guitar and piano, Ripp began his career as a songwriter for acts like Ryan Cabrera, and as is so often the case with young songwriters, he eventually decided to segue into the performer role himself. His third album, April 2013’s Won’t Let Go, was produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Charlie Peacock (Civil Wars, Colbie Caillat), whom Ripp said helped push him in a new direction.

“It was a war to be honest, which is what makes him a great producer; you can hear the tension in that record,” he said. “Music is a feeling and is an emotion. If you’re comfortable in the moment when you’re recording, I don’t know that you’re getting the best out of the song or the experience. Charlie had me in total shambles. It was great, but it was tough. I learned a lot about myself, how to become a better songwriter and artist.”